Willow Creek Sugarhouse 2016!!!

[Russell Lampron]

I've been wondering what happened to you. You usually post all the time and there has been nothing. Glad you got your internet working so that you can keep us updated. Hope your luck changes for the better.

[red maples]

Thanks Russ I am sure it will. My internet has been screwed up since comcast got hack or whatever happened. cell phones computers phone TV everything was on the fritz.

Things are getting there just some family stuff to take care of beginning of this week. Just need a solid day in the sugarhouse to work out the bugs.

[red maples]

Guess my luck just continues. turned on vac this morning and it was boiling in the large canister... most the of the entire bottom was leaking only getting about 15" of vacuum.. 2nd day with no sap. I sealed it back up hopefully it holds. we'll try it tomorrow morning.

Found my trailer hitch thing.

But got some stuff done. hopefully with warmer temps and low pressure the sap will be running hard tomorrow and will continuefor the next few days. hopefully make up for the last 2 days!!!

[red maples]

Well back in action!!! Thanks to Chris Pfeil hooked me up with a new canister for the releaser last night 2hr round trip I didn;t want to drive last night but needed to be done!!! it was getting worse with each dump. down to 19" vac. Right back up to 24.5" which is a little low but need to get out in the woods and find loose tap and leaks to get it back up to 26.5. ended up with 250 gallons of sap last night. from 12:00 to 4:30 am. Coming pretty good now. 60* this morning.

not sure if it still under warranty or not still waiting to hear if it will be covered. hopefully it is but needed it none the less.

[red maples]

Geez I think I might have got a little ahead today. had 450 gallons in the tank this morning. Had to bottle more syrup and make a small batch of candy for an order. collected 65 gallons from bags last night. (only dumped them 1/2 was in a hurry) and got another 90 gallons form buckets by noon today. I don't even have my gravity tubing tapped yet.... Sugar came up to about 1.25% for on vac. and almost 2% for buckets. but this after noon vac dropped down to 1% again and buckets finally petered out.

Made about 7-8 gallons of syrup. Lots of sap but the low sugar is killing me thank goodness for RO... and LOTS and LOTS of niter... geez filter press just fouls up so quickly. I can usually get 10+ gallons easy (which is what usually make) and have plenty of press left to filter front pan and thin it out with flue pan before I break down. not this year... but plumbing the Filter press much easier this time.

[red maples]

well from yesterday at about 11:30 to tonight got another 400 gallons in the tank. ( process that tomorrow) nice Sap Tsunami a little more than 1.5 gallons per tap. looks like we might have another one sunday, monday, tuesday. a much needed freeze tonight. My Vac pump said ahhh thank you! when I shut it off since its been running pretty steady the past few days...

[Amber Gold]

Glad to hear you g to the releaser fixed. It's great having Chris close by (relatively) cause it sure beats a trip to Swanton.

Can't believe your sugar is that low. Good thing you're not trucking it then. We've been around 1.8% so far. Lower than I'd like, but need to take what she gives us.

[red maples]

yep... it is nice having him that close. I wish my sugar was better. even bucket sap was lower.

Not much moving for sap today. it got to upper 30's but long hard freeze last night with a bit of a breeze nothing moving. had the pump on maybe got 20 gallons. I check it at 7:00 there was nothing come in at all. guessing it was froze up back in the woods I shut her down its 33* right now.

Went up to loudon and picked up some supplies and stopped in to see Larry more fora few minutes. everybody is busy up there but doing well. Was in a hurry to back down here. It was a quick $850 trip. (usually is)

Finished up the remaining Tsunami Sap today. finally moved through the sap that was in the Evap which was almost Very Dark probably is. and moved up to lighter dark almost in to amber by the end of the boil. hopefully we will get some amber on the next boil. Should be tomorrow night once things cut loose again. I figiured out my problem the other night filtering I was pretty much making candy in the filter press. I am like 4-5 brix over on that batch oops. need to add a little water back to that batch. Was drawing off right onthe money tonight and it went through EASY... made about 8-9 gallons it went right through and I even had enough filter press left to run my remaining syrup pan through it to clean out some niter.

So nice having a nice new to me drawoff container and having everthing plumbed right into the canners. and it is VERY nice to have 2 canners too. Thanks josh. I am hooked. just let me know how much you want for it.

We were getting pellets today saw your truck but you must have been up in the woods.

Good luck the next few days everybody.

[red maples]

Well been pretty lack luster here. Slow start to this run! I didn't even bother dumping buckets they never really got going. maybe 1/2 full. even the bigguns. vac pretty slow start as well go 50 gallons really fast then it slowed it picked up after lunch and ended up with 250 gallons of cloudy sap. Not enough to turn on the machine to make it worthwhile.

but did manage to tapping in the last 20 vac taps and the 25 on gravity tubing. walked 1/2 the woods looking for leaks and straightening out tubing and removing branches from all the wind. got vacuum back up to 24.75" getting there. just do a little every day.

Walked the woods again that currently has about 25 gravity tubing on it I wanted to get that hooked in the vac lines and run tubing out there this year but my arm screwed that one would have had another 130 possible taps on it. oh well maybe next year. Did find about 7-8 tappable sugars that will hang some bags on though. I think I have 10 left. I have another section on the other end with another 50-70 trees too but have to get permission for those which I already tap roadsides on that property but tubing is a little different. we'll see for next year.

Hope everyone did better than me today on sap.

[Russell Lampron]

The sap didn't run as good as I expected here either. At 5:00 I only had 250 gallons. I combined that with 250 gallons left from Thursday's run and the 50 gallons that came in Saturday and made 12 gallons of syrup last night. How many taps do you have now?